Eastern Cornbelt:
After a pleasant start to the week with highs commonly in the 60s, a cold front at midweek pushed temperatures in all three states down to the upper-30s and low-40s, with widespread rain reported across northern Ohio on Nov. 18. Slightly warmer weather was once again on tap for the weekend.
Growers continued to hammer away at the fall harvest. Progress on corn was rated at 95 percent complete in Illinois, 85 percent in Indiana, and 78 percent in Ohio by Nov. 14, with the soybean harvest estimated at 93 percent complete in Illinois and 88 percent in Indiana and Ohio.
Winter wheat planting was lagging slightly in the region, with progress by mid-month reported at 86 percent complete in Illinois and 92 percent in Indiana and Ohio.
Western Cornbelt:
Much cooler temperatures moved into the Western Cornbelt as the week progressed, with highs dropping to the upper-40s and a strong chance of precipitation by the weekend.
Growers made good progress on the fall harvest at mid-month, with 90-94 percent of the regional corn crop in the bin by Nov. 14. The soybean harvest was rated at 81 percent complete in Missouri and 97-98 percent in Iowa and Nebraska by that date, while Missouri’s cotton harvest had progressed to 86 percent and Nebraska’s sorghum harvest was rated at 91 percent complete.
Winter wheat planting was also well-advanced at 86-100 percent complete in Missouri and Nebraska as of mid-November.
Southern Plains:
Much of the Southern Plains enjoyed unseasonably warm weather as the week began, with highs reaching 74 degrees in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 15 and up to the high-80s in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Nov. 16. A strong cold front followed, however, with temperatures dropping to the 30s in Colorado and the 40s and 50s across New Mexico and Oklahoma.
A freeze warning was in effect for northern Texas on Nov. 18, with sub-freezing lows also expected in Oklahoma. A gradual warmup was expected again by the weekend, which should help growers move quickly on the remaining fall harvest in the region.
USDA reported that 94-100 percent of the corn was already in the bin in Colorado, Kansas, and Texas by Nov. 14, with the cotton harvest estimated at 30 percent complete in Kansas and 60 percent in Oklahoma and Texas. The Kansas soybean harvest was 85 percent complete by that date, slightly trailing the average pace for this date.
Some 82-89 percent of the regional sunflower harvest was finished by Nov. 14, with progress on the sorghum crop estimated at 83-85 percent in Kansas and Oklahoma, and 97-100 percent in Colorado and Texas.
South Central:
The week began with temperatures in the 70s across much of the South Central region, but rain and colder weather developed as the week progressed. Highs across Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky were expected to drop to the mid-50s on Nov. 18-19, with lows falling to the upper-20s in some locations by the weekend.
Growers were moving quickly to wrap up the fall harvest in the region. Fully 91 percent of Kentucky’s corn crop was in the bin by Nov. 14, while the soybean harvest had progressed by that date to 76-77 percent complete in Kentucky and Tennessee, 94-95 percent in Arkansas and Mississippi, and 100 percent in Louisiana.
The regional cotton harvest was also well advanced, with progress as of Nov. 14 estimated at 72 percent complete in Tennessee, 86 percent in Mississippi, 93 percent in Louisiana, and 94 percent in Arkansas.
Southeast:
The latter half of the week brought heavy rain to parts of southern Florida, with more than three inches expected in some locations over the weekend. The cold front also dropped temperatures to the 60s across Florida and Alabama, with lows falling into the 40s.
North Carolina growers had 100 percent of the corn and 66 percent of the soybeans in the bin by Nov. 14. The regional cotton harvest had progressed to 71 percent complete in North Carolina, 62-66 percent in Virginia and Alabama, and 52-55 percent in South Carolina and Georgia.
The peanut harvest was further along, with progress as of Nov. 14 estimated at 78 percent complete in South Carolina, 85-88 percent in Alabama and Georgia, 92 percent in North Carolina, and 96 percent in Virginia.